This invention provides a method for replacing terminators in a backplane of a telecommunication switch such that the telecommunication traffic carried on a line does not require a separate routing of the traffic by the switch operator to another line card. Using this methodology, a switch operator may save a significant amount of time when a terminator needs to be replaced due to routine maintenance or becomes faulty and has outlived its useful life. The telecommunication traffic carried by the line card is typically switched to protected mode status prior to replacing the terminator on the front side of the backplane. A terminator having a mirror image of electronic circuitry of the terminator being replaced is attached to pins located on the rear side of the backplane. The line card is removed and the terminator on the front side of the backplane is replaced. The line card is inserted back into the slot in the backplane, and the terminator on the rear side of the backplane is removed. The telecommunication traffic for the line card is taken off of protected mode status, and the line card resumes normal operation.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method for changing a terminator on a backplane of a telecommunication switch, comprising the steps of: installing a first terminator on a rear side of the backplane associated with a first line card having a second terminator; removing the line card associated with the second terminator; removing a second terminator on a front side of the backplane; installing a third terminator on the front side of the backplane; installing a second line card in the backplane; and removing the first terminator from the rear side of the backplane.
2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of selecting a protect mode for traffic carried on the first line card prior to removing the first line card from the slot.
3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of identifying the slot with the second terminator by testing a plurality of pins located on the rear side of the backplane.
4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the testing of the plurality of the pins located on the rear side of the backplane is performed by measuring a voltage drop across the plurality of the pins.
5. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the second line card is the first line card.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second and third terminators have a same circuitry.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first terminator has a mirror image of circuitry for the second terminator.
8. A method for changing a terminator on a backplane of a telecommunication switch, comprising the steps of: selecting a protect mode for telecommunication traffic carried on a line card located in a slot on the backplane; installing a first terminator on a first plurality of pins corresponding to the slot in a rear side of the backplane; removing the line card from the slot in the backplane; removing a second terminator from a second plurality of pins in a front side of the backplane corresponding to the line card; installing a third terminator on the second plurality of pins in the front side of the backplane; installing the line card in the slot on the backplane; removing the first terminator from the first plurality of pins in the rear side of the backplane; and deselecting the protect mode for the telecommunication traffic carried on the line card.
9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising the step of removing the second terminator from the second plurality of pins in the front side of the backplane as part of a periodic maintenance program.
10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising the step of removing the second terminator from the second plurality of pins in the front side of the backplane when the second terminator is identified as faulty.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the second terminator has a mirror image of circuitry for the first terminator.
12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first terminator has a mirror image of circuitry for the second terminator.
13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the second and third terminators have a same circuitry.
14. A method for changing a terminator on a backplane of a telecommunication switch, comprising the steps of: responding to an alarm indicating a low voltage on a first terminator in a backplane; identifying a slot in the backplane associated with the first terminator experiencing the low voltage; selecting a protect mode for telecommunication traffic cared on a line card associated with the first terminator experiencing the low voltage; installing a second terminator in a rear side of the backplane corresponding to the line card; removing the line card from the slot in the backplane; removing the first terminator from a front side of the backplane; installing a third terminator in the front side of the backplane; installing the line card in the slot in the backplane; removing the second terminator from the rear side of the backplane; and deselecting the protect mode for the telecommunication traffic carried on the line card.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first and third terminator have a same circuitry.
16. An apparatus for efficiently replacing a terminator on a backplane of a telecommunication switch where a protected mode has been selected for telecommunication traffic carried on a line card located in a slot on the backplane, comprising a second terminator having disconnectable connections arranged to be connected to a first plurality of pins, for installing the second terminator on the first plurality of pins corresponding to the slot in a rear side of the backplane to permit removing the line card from the slot in the backplane and to permit removing the first terminator from a second plurality of pins in a front side of the backplane corresponding to the line card to allow installation of a third terminator on the second plurality of pins in the front side of the backplane and installation of the line card in the slot on the backplane, wherein the disconnectable connections facilitate removing the first terminator from the first plurality of pins in the rear side of the backplane prior to deselecting the protect mode for the telecommunication traffic carried on the line card.
17. A backplane for a telecommunication switch comprising: at least one slot for accommodating a line card; at least one first set of pins on a first surface of the black plane; at least one first termination device for releasable connection to the first set of pins; at least one second set of pins on a second surface of the backplane; wherein the releasbale connection provided by said first set of pins facilitates removal the first terminator from the backplane prior to deselecting a protect mode for the telecommunication traffic carried on the line card; and at least one second termination device for releaseable connection to the second set of pins.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
December 21, 1999
July 15, 2003
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